The U.S. president said he is willing to consider pulling American troops from Spain and Italy after recent tensions with European allies over the war in Iran.
In the Oval Office on Friday, President Donald Trump was asked whether he might reduce the U.S. military presence in the two Mediterranean countries. He responded, “Yeah, probably. Look, why shouldn’t I?” He added that Italy “has not been of any help to us” and described Spain’s support as “horrible, absolutely horrible,” noting that assistance had been “a little slow.”
Trump’s remarks follow a similar warning directed at Germany earlier this week. The president has repeatedly criticized NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” after several member states declined to back the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran. On Friday, the Pentagon announced that about 5,000 of the roughly 36,000 U.S. service members stationed in Germany would be withdrawn.
The president reiterated his view that NATO members have been ungrateful for U.S. support to Ukraine, saying, “We helped them with Ukraine. You know, they made a mess out of Ukraine, a total mess.”
Spain and Italy have pushed back against U.S. operations related to the Iran conflict. Spain denied that a naval base near Cádiz was used for attacks on Iran and closed its airspace to American aircraft involved in the campaign. Italy likewise refused U.S. use of an air base in Sicily.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has condemned the bombing of Iran, describing the war as “illegal” and a “big mistake.” In an op‑ed for Le Monde diplomatique, Sánchez accused the United States of “unilateral attempts” to engineer regime change in Venezuela and Iran without international approval.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni warned that the war with Iran has increased Middle‑East instability and driven up energy prices. She also called Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV—who opposes the conflict—“unacceptable.”
The president’s comments signal a possible shift in U.S. force posture in Southern Europe. Any decision to reduce troop levels would require coordination with host governments and could affect NATO’s overall strategic balance. The situation remains fluid as Washington, Madrid, and Rome navigate diplomatic and security concerns tied to the broader Middle‑East crisis.
